That’s why I’m proud that our new Labour government is already making a difference.
Since we took office last July, NHS waiting lists have fallen by 193,000. That’s thousands of people who are no longer struggling in pain.
And here in the Black Country, we’ve seen some of the fastest improvements, with local waiting lists down by 5,514 since October. That’s because Labour ministers took the decision to push hardest in areas where lots of people have long-term conditions or are unable to work, sending in specialist crack teams of expert doctors. And that means that locally, our NHS waiting lists have fallen twice as fast as the national rate.
When we got elected, we ended the strikes that hit patient care, unlocking over two million extra appointments. That means more people in Tipton, Wednesbury and Coseley are getting seen, getting treated, and getting back to living their lives.
But this is just the start.
Labour has a serious plan to get the NHS back on its feet for good. We’ll use spare capacity in private hospitals to speed up operations - at no cost to patients. We’ll invest in community healthcare, with local workers visiting homes to help people much earlier, before things become a crisis. And we’ll properly fund and value NHS staff, so they can focus on caring for patients.
We’re doing the graft, not making empty promises. After years of decline, we’re turning things around - steadily, carefully, and with local people at the heart of it.
I’ll keep fighting for our patch - for the investment in our GP surgeries, in the hospitals and health workers we need round here, and for every resident waiting for the operation or appointment they need.